Device for recording the operation of the keys of a typewriter



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July 16, 1957 B. NITSCHKE 2,79

DEVICE FOR RECORDING THE OPERATION OF THE KEYS OF A TYPEWRITER Filed Feb. 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Skrokes per Second Q119 a s F 1; 1 fivd E''rinds' Q? 1 ole 6.9 J, 414 4,: 4,}: i AVVENTO'Q 45 Egg v W/TJCHKE July 16, 1957 B. NITSCHKE 2,7

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DEVICE FOR RECORDING THE OPERATION THE KEYS OF A TYPEWRITER Bruno Nitschke, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, assignor to Adlerwerke vorm. Heinrich Kleyer Aktiengesellschaft, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Application February 16, 1954, Serial No. 410,601 I Claims priority, application Germany March 9, 1953 Claims. (Cl. 346-23) This invention relates to a device for recording the operation of the keys of a typewriter. It is therefore an object of theinvention to provide a machine with a paper strip on which the speed and degree of typing is recorded after which the strip is compared with a scale to permit the determination of the speed and uniformity of typing of a particular typist.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device to be attached on a typewriter to record the type impression together with a line record indicating the depression and release of the respective keys one after the other. A still further object of the invention resides in the apparatus to determine at all times the typing speed as well as the uniformity or non-uniformity of typing including the time each key is held before release after the type impression is made. Thus the time of depression and release of each key may be accurately recorded and determined so that it is possible to record and measure the performance of any typist for any desired time interval.

Another object of the invention resides in the pro vision of a device to be operated with and adjacent to a carbon ribbon and its guide fork so as to record the typing speed and the specific performance as compared with adjacent type impressions.

Further objects will be apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a typewriter with the invention applied thereon,

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of a scale to interpret the data taken from the typewriter,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the machine as seen from the rear, and

Figs. 4 to 6 are each diagrammatic plan views of the strip with various data provided thereon.

Referring to Fig. l on the upper part 10 of the typewriter there is provided on a removable cover 11, a paper roll 12, guide rollers 20 and 21, and guide forks 9 for directing a strip 1 over the machine. The type members 2 operate in the usual manner to strike on and over a color ribbon 4 against a platen 5 and the reprint 3 struck by the type member is recorded on the paper strip. These reprints or impressions on the strip 1 as to the typed characters thereon have a certain spacing between the individual letters and numerals depending upon the typing speed. At the same time the type impressions are produced on the sheet of transparent paper 6 by means of an inverted carbon paper sheet 7, together with any desired carbon copies depending upon the number of carbon paper sheets used for this purpose. The platen 5 operates rotatably and axially in the manner usual in standard typewriters. From the guide forks 9 the strip 1 passes along rollers 22 and 23 onto a drive roller 24. The strip 1 is pressed against the drive roller by a roller 25 and the roller 24 is suitably driven by a motor 13 through gears 26.

In accordance with the present invention, the strip 1 passes a stroke time tracer 29 at a uniform speed, Fig. 3,

' Patented July 16, v1957 which tracer is combined with the ink ribbon fork guide 27. The tracer 29 is secured on a holding column 30 which latter is removably mounted on the part 28 of the guide 27. For this purpose a clamping connection 31 maybe used which for example consists of a bent-over portion of the column 30. Thereby it is possible to use the typewriter by choice as for the usual typing purposes or for the purpose of measuring the speed of the operator of the typewriter.

The tracer 29 may consist of a writing point as a lead rod, which will positively place a discernible line on the strip 1 or it may consist of a metal pin which does not carry any color holder but which will act on a specially prepared surface on the strip 1 so that when the strip passes the pin a discernible line will be produced. If desired, the color band 4 can also be used to print a line on the. strip 1 by the tracer 29 in which case a more saturated band 4'will be used. In that case the color band 4 will pass between the tracer 29 and the strip 1. When the tracer 29 records directly on the strip 1, it is brought somewhat higher, so that it will be above the color band 4. The tracer 29 is not pointed but slightly rounded so that it will not damage the color band 4.

Since the ribbon fork guide 27 is positively raised each time every type key lever is depressed and when released the guide will be lowered, a line is produced by the tracer 29 on the strip 1 upon each depression of a key so that on the strip 1 an ascending line 32 and a descending line 34 will be produced. Since the tracer 29 is placed at one side adjacent the printing place, in order not to interfere with the movement of the type heads 2, the ascending line 32 on the strip 1 will be definite distance adjacent the imprint 3. If now the key is released very rapidly then the type head and the ribbon fork 27 will immediately drop back, so that the descending line 34, Fig. 4, will immediately start from the top of the line 32. However if the key is not released immediately after printing and a short time interval elapses, then the ascending and descending lines 32 and 34 respectively will be connected at the top by a line 32, Fig. 5, and 37, 39 and 41, Fig. 6 on the strip 1. The length of these connecting lines 33 for ascending and descending lines 32 and 34, line 37 for ascending and descending lines 36 and 38, line 39 for ascending and descending lines 36 and 40, and line 41 for ascending and descending lines 36 and 42, will indicate the length of time the operator has held the key of a printed type until released.

If now the key after depression is not released as quickly as possible, then the descending line 34 is not as steep on the strip 1 as shown in Fig. 4, but will be represented by a less steep line as shown in Fig. 5. Also a so-called irregular or hesitating release of the key after printing will show on the descending line as a jog 35 therein, Fig. 5. The lines in Fig. 6 show that when striking three letters 3, one after the other, the time each key is held before release after printing gradually increases as is evident by comparing the length of the lines 37, 39 and 41. Also the descending lines 38, 40 and 42 show that due to the angles of these lines, the key was released by the fingers only with a moderate speed.

By insertion of the strip 1 in the scale of Fig. 2 it is possible to read each part of the line or lines 32 to 42 as to the time scale 15 which will tell the time for each letter as to the individual key operations. Also the scale 16 will indicate the number of strokes or key depressions per second to thus indicate the typing speed as calculated and observed as to two following type impressions on the strip 1. In this way an imprint 3 on the strip 1 or any definite point on the line or lines 32 to 42 is placed on the mark 17 of the scale 16 and then the performance of the operator may be observed. Thus it is possible to 3 determine the speed of the operation of the keys by reading the scale 16.

The operation of the device is believed to be perfectly clear from the foregoing description and explanation. The strip 1 forms a permanent record of the performance of the typist not only as to speed but as to the character of each individual typing.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a typewriting machine, in combination with a plurality of keys, type bars actuated by said keys, a carbon ribbon, a ribbon vibrator to raise and lower said carbon ribbon at the printing point on actuation of any one of said keys, a carriage, means to feed said carriage step by step in accordance with the actuation of the keys, a recording strip means to mount said strip parallel to the longitudinal extension of said carriage, means to feed said strip at aconstant rate of speed independently of the feeding motion of said carriage, and a tracer means mounted on said ribbon vibrator for tracing a line'on said strip.

2. In a typewriting machine, in combination with a plurality of keys, type bars actuated by said keys, a carbon ribbon, a ribbon vibrator to raiseand lower said carbon ribbon at the printing point on actuation of any one of said keys, a carriage, a platen mounted on said carriage, means to feed said carriage step by step in accordance with the actuation of the keys, a recording strip means to mount said strip parallel to the longitudinal extension of said carriage, means to feed said strip at a constant rate of speed independently of the feeding motion of said carriage, a tracer means mounted on said ribbon vibrator for tracing a line on said strip, and means to guide said strip at the printing point between said carbon ribbon and said platen.

3. In a typewriting machine, in combination with a plurality of keys, type bars actuated by said keys, a carbon ribbon, a ribbon vibrator to raise and lower said carbon ribbon at the printing point on actuation of any one of said keys, a carriage, a platen mounted on said carriage, means to feed said carriage step by step in accordance with the actuation of the keys, a recording strip means to mount said strip parallel to the longitudinal extension of said carriage, means to feed said strip at a constant rate of speed independently of the feeding motion of said carriage, a tracer means removably mounted on said ribbon vibrator for tracing'a line on said strip, and

means to secure said tracer means on said ribbon vibrator.v

motion of said carriage, and a tracer means mounted on said ribbon vibrator for tracing a line on said strip, said tracer means comprising a post having a tracing rod thereon.

5. In a typewriting machine, in combination with a plurality of keys, type' bars actuated by said keys, a carbon ribbon, a ribbon vibrator to raise and lower said carbon ribbon at the printing pointon actuation of any one of said keys, a carriage, a platen mounted on said carriage, means to feed said carriage step by step in accordance with the actuation of the keys, a recording strip means to mount said strip parallel to the longitudinal extension of said carriage, means to feed said strip at a constant rate of speed independently of the feeding mo tion of said carriage, and a tracer means mounted on said ribbon vibrator for tracing a line on said strip, said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,431,043 Jackson Nov. 18, 1937 

